Diversity of Wisconsin Rosids

Home , Acacia varia, Boehmeria cylindrica, Celtis, Elaeagnus umbellata, Gleditsia, Hebecarpa

Diversity of Wisconsin Rosids . . . elms, mulberries, legumes . . .

we will be seeing, in the next few lectures, many of the woody plants (trees/shrubs) present at your sites Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

A large family of trees and shrubs in the tropics and temperate areas. In Wisconsin we have 2 genera (Rhamnus and Ceanothus) and 6 species. Several are some of our most invasive shrubs in the forest sites you will study. Many of our species are armed with thorns

Leaves are simple and alternate or opposite often with arcuate venation (arcing along the edge)

Rhamnus cathartica - European or common buckthorn [invasive] common 401 final exam shrub! Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

Leaves are simple and alternate or opposite often with arcuate venation (arcing along the edge)

Inner bark is bright green

Rhamnus cathartica - European or common buckthorn [invasive] common 401 final exam shrub! Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

Flowers 4 or 5 merous (4 merous shown in common buckthorn)

Stamens opposite the petals - unusual in flowering plants!

Rhamnus cathartica - European or common buckthorn [invasive] common 401 final exam shrub! Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

Flowers 4 or 5 merous (4 merous shown in common buckthorn)

Stamens opposite the petals - unusual in flowering plants!

Fruits one-seeded drupes

Shrubs often confused with cherries and hollies

Rhamnus cathartica - European or common buckthorn [invasive] common 401 final exam shrub! Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

Frangula alnus (=Rhamnus frangula) Rhamnus alnifolia Glossy buckthorn [invasive] alder leaf buckthorn [native] Rhamnaceae - buckthorn family

Ceanothus americanus New Jersey tea Elaeagnaceae - Russian olive family

Elaeagnus umbellata - autumn olive Elaeagnus angustifolia - Russian olive

Russian olive family are small trees and shrubs easily recognized by silvery or reddish glandular hairs covering bottom leaves and/or stems

Russian and autumn olive are invasive trees with alternate leaves Elaeagnaceae - Russian olive family

Shepherdia canadensis - buffalo- berry

Buffalo-berries are North American species with opposite leaves

Shepherdia argentea - silver buffalo- berry (western N. Am. Species but planted) Ulmaceae - elm family A north temperate family of trees best known for the American elm with its distinctive vase shaped growth form. Dutch Elm disease, caused by the fungus Ophiostoma ulmi, is gradually destroying these magnificant trees. Dutch Elm disease was first discovered in this country in 1930. Leaves are distichously arranged - 2 ranks in one plane - and pinnately veined

Leaf bases are strongly asymmetric

Ulmus americana - American elm Ulmaceae - elm family

Flowers are bisexual but reduced and wind pollinated; they appear before the leaves

Pistil is made of two fused carpels but only one seed matures; fruit is a samara - a winged achene is this case

Note 2 styles on samara Ulmus americana - American elm Ulmaceae - elm family

Red elm leaves are more sand papery in texture, less asymmetric at base; inner bark is reddish

Ulmus rubra - red or slippery elm

common 401 final exam treelet! Ulmaceae - elm family

Red elm leaves are more sand papery in texture, less asymmetric at base; inner bark is reddish Samaras are larger than the American elm and without fringe of hairs along edge

Ulmus rubra - red or slippery elm

common 401 final exam treelet! Ulmaceae - elm family

Rock elm has corky bark – otherwise leaves looks like a smoother American elm

Ulmus thomasii – rock or cork elm Cannabaceae - marijuana family A small family in the Great Lakes of 3 genera and 4 species of trees, herbs and vines. Plants palmi-pinnate (Celtis), palmately lobed (Humulus) or compound (Cannabis). Often distinctively aromatic plants. Flowers unisexual.

Cannabis sativa Hemp, marijuana

Celtis occidentalis Hackberry

Humulus lupulus American hops Cannabaceae - marijuana family Celtis is a group of small trees previously placed in Ulmaceae or Celtidaceae. Hackberries have unisexual flowers. Leaves are strongly palmi-pinnate - with 3 main veins at base.

Celtis occidentalis - hackberry

Fruit is a one-seeded drupe, not a berry! Note distinctive warty bark Cannabaceae - marijuana family

Female inflorescence Seeds 1-seeded

Cannabis sativa Hemp, marijuana

Male inflorescence Cannabaceae - marijuana family

• Cannabis sativa L.

fiber & oil subsp. sativa cultivar var. spontanea var. sativa var. ruderalis weakly intoxicant “domesticate” “wild” strongly intoxicant

narcotic subsp. indica cultivar var. kafiristanica var. indica var. afghanica Cannabaceae - marijuana family

Industrial hemp – part of Wisconsin agricultural past

Hemp farm outside Ripon Cannabaceae - marijuana family

Humulus lupulus American hops Under cultivation; notice the hop female inflorescences which is source of beer flavoring - lupulin Cannabaceae - marijuana family

Humulus japonicus Japanese hops [escaped] Humulus lupulus American hops Under cultivation; notice the hop female inflorescences which is source of beer flavoring - lupulin Urticaceae - nettle family Largely a tropical family of herbs and shrubs. In Wisconsin we have 5 genera and 6 species - all of them herbs and generally restricted to woodlands.

Leaves have the palmi- pinnate venation; either alternate or opposite

Urtica dioica - stinging nettle Urticaceae - nettle family Largely a tropical family of herbs and shrubs. In Wisconsin we have 5 genera and 6 species - all of them herbs and generally restricted to woodlands.

Some species, like stinging nettle, are a source of irritants found in specialized hair-like cells on stems and leaves

Flowers are reduced and unisexual, in congested inflorescences, and mostly wind-pollinated

Some species, like stinging nettle, are a source of irritants found in specialized hair-like cells on stems and leaves

Flowers are reduced and unisexual, in congested inflorescences, and mostly wind-pollinated

Stamens have a peculiar elastic spring-like mechanism that flings pollen further out from the plant Urtica dioica - stinging nettle Urticaceae - nettle family Leaves are palmi-pinnate as in other related families of the Rosales. Genera in Wisconsin can be separated by leaf arrangement, presence of stinging hairs, and inflorescence features.

Urtica dioica - stinging nettle Laportea canadensis - wood nettle [opposite leaves, stinging] [alternate leaves, stinging] Urticaceae - nettle family

Parietaria pensylvanica pellitory

Boehmeria cylindrica Pilea pumila False nettle clearweed Moraceae - mulberry family

A large and important family of tropical trees (figs, breadfruit). Two genera (Morus and Maclura) with 3 species occur in Wisconsin, although only 1 is native.

Well developed latex system occurs in the family and thus is easy to recognize by usually milky sap when leaves or stems are cut.

Leaves are alternate, strongly palmi-pinnately veined.

Morus alba - white mulberry (introduced, source of food for silk worms in the Orient) - has characteristic variable lobing of leaves.

Morus alba - white mulberry Moraceae - mulberry family

Flowers reduced, unisexual, no petals

Single seeded fruits (fleshy achenes or drupelets) from many flowers coalesce to form one fleshy, multiple fruit [e.g., mulberry, fig, breadfruit]

Morus alba - white mulberry [left - female ; right - male] Moraceae - mulberry family

Red mulberry is our one native species, and is quite rare and is a riparian edge specialist

Morus rubra - red mulberry Moraceae - mulberry family

Note the multiple fruit - derived from an entire inflorescence, not from just one flower

Morus rubra - red mulberry Moraceae - mulberry family

Osage orange is not native but often seen escaped; note the large grapefruit sized multiple fruit

Maclura pomifera - osage orange

Cross section of multiple fruit showing individual one- seeded fruitlets Fabaceae Produce specialized follicles - legumes - that open along two lines of dehiscence

Allowed to call family Leguminosae Legumes!

Aster – 24K Orchid – 21K Legume – 19K

Coffee – 13K

Grass – 8K

Mammal– 5K Fabaceae Most of the legumes are compound leaved - pinnately, palmately, trifoliolate - a few are simple leaved Fabaceae Most of the legumes are compound leaved - pinnately, palmately, trifoliolate - a few are simple leaved

Stipules are generally well- developed “caesalpinoid” legumes

CA 5 CO 5 A 10 G 1

1 carpel

legume

Flowers 5 merous with 10 stamens; topmost petal = banner sits in front of the 2 lateral or wing petals

Gynoecium monocarpic and forms the legume Chamaecrista fasciculata golden cassia, locust-weed) “caesalpinoid” legumes

Senna marilandica - southern Senna hebecarpa- wild wild senna senna “caesalpinoid” legumes

Cercis canadensis - eastern redbud NOT native “caesalpinoid” legumes Gleditsia triacanthos - honey locust “faboid” legumes

CA (5) CO 3+(2) A (9)+1 G 1 80 species in Wisconsin; many with root nodules for N2 fixation

Calyx often fused

Banner petal behind lateral petals

Bottom keel petals often fused

Stamens diadelphous = 9 fused + 1 separate

banner petal

2 keel petals 2 lateral petals “faboid” legumes

Baptisia leucophaea (=B. bracteata) - creamy wild indigo

Apios americana - groundnut “faboid” legumes

Securigera (Coronilla) varia - crown vetch Desmodium canadense - ticktrefoil “faboid” legumes

Lathyrus japonicus - beach pea

Lupinus perennis - lupine “faboid” legumes

Robinia pseudo-acacia - black locust

invasive common 401 final exam tree! “faboid” legumes Vicia villosa Hairy vetch

Trifolium pratense Red clover

Melilotus alba White sweet clover

Medicago sativa alfalfa Polygalaceae - milkwort family

A small family of herbs with flowers reminiscent of legumes; their closest relatives; milky latex in plant

Polygala paucifolia gaywings, flowering wintergreen

Early flowering plant of northern hardwood pine forests

Polygala sanguinea purple milkwort Polygalaceae - milkwort family

Polygala polygama - bitter milkwort

Species characteristic of sandy soils; note the cleistogamous flowers = closed and selfing vs. chasmogamous = open and outcrossed